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09/02/2010 09:50 AM

Verisae, Schneider Electric Team Up For Demand Response

SustainableBusiness.com News

Verisae, a specialist in Sustainability Resource Planning (SRP) solutions, announced a partnership with Schneider Electric (SND.DE) to bring a Demand Response (DR) product to commercial and industrial customers in the United States and overseas markets.

Schneider Electric will offer what it calls "Demand
Response 2.0." DR 2.0 not only manages traditional load shedding, but
also enables load shaping, which is the ability to adjust in real-time
the dynamic nature of utility pricing.

Verisae will provide the utility and
customer-facing demand response services while Schneider Electric will
market and manage the offer on behalf of its utility and end-user
customers.

Greg Effertz, chief operating officer for Verisae, said, “This dynamic pricing solution allows companies to have better control of their energy costs. It also enables utilities to innovate with new tariff structures and maximize resource generation. Our partnership allows the smart grid to become a true reality.”

By implementing DR 2.0, utilities and their larger customers create a “virtual” power plant of dispatchable load that can be used to manage high peak electricity demand periods and fill any gaps in renewable energy portfolios.

EnerNOC, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOC) and Servidyne, Inc. (Nasdaq: SERV) are two of the biggest competitors for demand response services in the U.S. However, smart grid systems being deployed by utilities across the country will enable widespread demand response capabilities as well.

The demand response (DR) industry is expected to begin a period of dramatic growth in 2013, according to a recent Pike Research report, which forecasts market growth from $1.4 billion in 2010 to $8.2 billion in 2020.